A microbiome is an ecological community of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms that are associated with an organism. The human microbiome comprises as many microbial cells as human cells present in the entire human body, but characterization of the human microbiome is still in nascent stages due to limitations in sample processing techniques, genetic analysis techniques, and resources for processing large amounts of data. Nonetheless, the microbiome is suspected to play at least a partial role in a number of health/disease-related states (e.g., preparation for childbirth, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, etc.).
Given the profound implications of the microbiome in affecting a subject's health, efforts related to the characterization of the microbiome, the generation of insights from the characterization, and the generation of therapeutics configured to rectify states of dysbiosis should be pursued. Current methods and systems for analyzing the microbiomes of humans and providing therapeutic measures based on gained insights have, however, left many questions unanswered. In particular, methods for characterizing certain health conditions and therapies (e.g., probiotic therapies) tailored to specific subjects have not been viable due to limitations in current technologies.
As such, there is a need in the field of microbiology for a new and useful method and system for characterizing conditions associated with microbiome functional features in an individualized and population-wide manner. This invention creates such a new and useful method and system.